Lubricating apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

T. A. SHIPP, JR. LUBRIGATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED'APB..2.1906.

UNITED STATES THOMAS A. sHI Pr, JR.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF TIFTON, GEORGIA.

LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309.876-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Tifton, in the county of Tift and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus,

of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

[his invention relates to means for sulpplying lubricant to the several hearings in t e same plane oi one or more pieces of machinery from a common source of supply, sup ly and distributing pipes transferringthe lu ricant from the supply-tank to t e various bearings. The invention associates with such a system means whereby the lubricant supplied to one or more sets or series of bearin s is at all times maintained at a predetermined and uniform level or height. Further, the system is so arranged that the supply-pipe of each hearing may be disconnected without disturbing or cutting off the supply to the other bearings, and the various parts of the system are so displosed as to be readily accessible, yet out of t e way during operation of the machines to which they are connected.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts contemplated by this invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein is shown for urposes of illustration an adaptation of the invention as applied to a s inning-machine, to which character of mac inery the invention is especially applicable, as the labor incident to the manual lubrication of its multiplicity of s indles is very great.

In the rawings like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views, of which- Figure 1 is a view of part of a spinningmachine, showing the arrangement of the distributing-pipes; and Fig. 2 is a view showing the disposition of the several 1parts of the system with respect to the spind es of a plu rality of spinning-machines.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, 3 designates an oil-supply tank which may be located in any convenientplace with respect to the machinery to be supplied with oil, such as in a detached oilhouse or in the same building or room with the machinery. A float-tank 4 is provided for each series ofbearings on the same horizontal plane, such as the spindles inthes inning-machines shown in the drawings, w ere one float-tank 18 provided for a plurality of similar spinning-machines whose spindles are at a uniform height, the tank being located in the plane of the spindles. Connecting each float-tank with the supply-tank is a pipe 5, and each float-tank is provided with an overflow-pipe 6, arranged to draw off excess oilabove a redetermmed line and leading into an over ow-tank 7 A trunk-pipe 8 leads from the float-tank 4 to supply 011 to the bearings, whose lubrication is controlled from that tank. Pipe 8 may be located at any convenient place, as under the floor where it is out of the way, as shown in the drawings, and it leads under oil. For each machine a pipe 9 is coup ed to the trunk-pipe and to pipes 10, leading along and in rear of the line of spindles, where they are out of the way. For each spindle a pipe 11 is tapped into a pipe 10 and is coupled to the base 12 of the spindle. Pipe 11 is preferably made of lead or other suitable pliable.

material and of sufficient length so that when it is disconnected from the spindle-base for urpose of repair or otherwise 1ts free end may e turned up above the oil-line, and thus obviate the emission and loss of oil therefrom. It will be seen that by this manner of connecting the pipes it will "not be necessary to withdraw the oil from any of the pipeswhen it is desired for any reason to disconnect the feedpipes of one or more slpindles.

The operation of t e system is automatic. Oil enters the float-tank from the sup lytank until it has reached the level required for the lubrication of its series of bearin s, when the flow of Oil into that tank will e automatically sto ped by the float-controlled valve 13, whic 1 is adjusted to close the inlet when this level is reached. From the floattank the oil passes through pipes 8, 9, 10, and 11 to the bearings and is maintained in the bearings at a proper level by automatic operation of the float-valve in an Obvious manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a series of bearings in the same plane, of a lubricant-sup ly system comprising a tank connected with a supply-pi e from the source of supply and connecte with a pipe communicating with no the one or more machines to which it supplies said bearings-and means in said tank Whereby lubricant is maintained at a predetermined height in said bearings.

2. The combination witha series of bearings in the same plane, of a lubricant-supply system comprising a tank connected Witha supply-pipe from the source of supply and connecte' with a pipe communicating with said bearings, and an automatically-operative valve in said tank whereby lubricant is maintained at :a predetermined height in said bearings.

3. The combination with aseries of bearings in the same plane, -of alubricant-supply system comprising means whereby the lubricant is maintained in the bearings at a uniform level, and a pliable pipe connecting each of the bearings With the source of supply, said pipe being so arranged that When disconnected from its bearing and turned upwardly its free end will be above the level of *the lubricant.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

T. A. SHIPP, JR. 'Witnesses:

W. C. SAULs, W. PINKSTON. 

